Arizonas POV

Sitting here on the cold bathroom floor with Calliope I remember that I came to this city with very conflicted feelings. The life me and my parents had in Los Angeles was darkened by a lot of tragic events. It all came crashing down on us in less than 3 months. I was suspended from school because of my sexual orientation, my mom was fired and Timothy died. I still can't believe he's gone. He was so little, so innocent. My baby brother died before he saw the world.
So, on the one hand I was grateful for moving here. It felt like a fresh start, I could just reinvent myself. Nobody knew what I've experienced in the past year so nobody looked at me with pity. I was just the new girl.
But then again, I could never escape the hell that was home. Since Timmy died my parents are not there anymore. They get up in the morning to wait for bedtime. Home didn't feel warm and loving as it should feel. It was more like a dark cold cave where you couldn't see very far, didn't know if a monster waited for you behind the next corner.
I look down at our intertwined fingers. She is really the best thing that happened to me in a very long time. I think since the first time she looked into my eyes I felt a tiny bit of the dark that surrounded me leave and be replaced by warmth and love.

Flashback Part 1 (General POV)

It was Arizona Robbins first day at Seattle West High School and her first day of senior year. She woke up and for one second was happy. It was her last first day of school. It would all be over soon. I only have to pretend one year. I can do that she thought to herself. When she got up and saw the picture of her brother on her bedside table reality hit her again. Nothing is okay right now; I'll just have to be a very good actress.
After getting ready for school she walked down the stairs into the kitchen. One year ago her mother would have made breakfast. One year ago her father would sit at the kitchen table with a coffee and the paper in his hands. One year ago she would have been greeted by four loving eyes, sometimes even by a happy squeal of her baby brother. Today she was greeted by an empty kitchen and a broken vase on the floor. She quietly cleaned up and left for school. Just one more year.
The first classes went uneventful. It was exactly what she wanted. She was just the new girl with unkempt blond hair, and relaxed clothes. She didn't really care about her appearance anymore. She wanted to blend into the grey mass so no one will notice her. And nobody did.
The bell rang for lunch break and Arizona wasn't sure what she would do in those 60 minutes. She couldn't eat anything. The stored emotions were making her nauseous.
The blonde left school grounds and went to the little park next to the tall building. Sitting on a bench she rummaged in her bag looking for the packet of cigarettes she brought. It wasn't that she liked the taste of it, no, but it made her dizzy and for one moment she would forget. Half way through her cigarette she heard a voice behind her: "Can I have one?"
Arizona turned around and saw a beautiful Latina with tears in her deep brown eyes.
"Sure" Arizona said, lit one cigarette and gave it to her. The girl smiled sadly and accepted the fuming object. To the blondes surprise the beauty sat herself next to her on the bench. After a few minutes of silence she suddenly whispered: "My name is Calliope but I prefer Callie"
"Hi" Arizona said, "I'm Arizona"
"Hi." They smiled at each other. Both girls were lost in each other's eyes. Intrigued by the other girls beauty and depth.
Since that first day of senior year they met on that bench every day. Sometimes they talked. Sometimes they smoked. And sometimes they just sat there next to each other staring at the different shades of green in the park.

One day in October they sat on that bench again. After 60 minutes of silence Calliope asked the blonde: "Do you want to get a coffee with me after school?"
"Yeah" Arizona answered "I don't really want to go home anyway."
"Me neither" Callie whispered and got up from the bench.
Arizona quickly got up from the wooden bench and ran to her new friend or connection or whatever it was who was on her way back into the school building. When the blonde caught up they walked in together, side by side, shoulders and arms touching because they both noticed that the time they spent together made them better, made them forget all the shit at home.
"See you then" Callie said when she reached her classroom. Arizona laid a hand on the brunettes shoulder and smiled. Calliope looked into the blue eyes and found honesty and depth, something she never saw in someone's eyes before. She smiled back, went into the room and sat down at the table in the very back of the classroom.
After the last two classes of the day Arizona and Callie met on the parking lot of the school.
"Do you have a car?" Callie asked.
"Yes, do you want to ride with me to the café? Because I really have no idea where you can get good coffee."
"That would be very nice" The Latina said. "I walked to school but I know where you can buy the best coffee in town. I can show you."
"Get in" the Blonde said when she opened the door of her small blue hybrid car.
The drive to the café was a short 10 minute drive filled with small talk about classes and music. Both girls were very surprised to notice they had a lot in common. They liked the same bands and even had a lot of classes together. Both were always in their own little world, daydreaming that they didn't notice for two months that the other girl was in nearly all of their classes.
When they got to their destination Arizona was surprised about the location. She never was in that part of town. The café Calliope showed her was small, alternative, there were books everywhere, every stool was different and obviously vintage. Indie music was playing and the shop smelled of antique books, freshly brewed coffee and apple pie.
"It's amazing, Calliope. Thanks for bringing me here" The blonde said with a small smile.
Callie smiled back and opened her mouth to say something but she was interrupted by a loud friendly scream: "Callie" a barefooted guy with long brown hair in a ponytail, big poufy pants and a simple shirt yelled from the back of the café.

Calliope's POV
"Sammy" I yelled happily. He came over to us and hugged me tightly.
"I missed you" He said "You didn't come here in a long time."
"Yeah, I've been kinda busy" I lied.
I saw it in his eyes that he didn't believe me, but being one of the kindest and most amazing people I know he let it slide and didn't ask any more questions. He looked to Arizona and smiled.
"Yeah, sorry. Arizona this is Sammy, he owns this amazing place. Sammy this is Arizona, she…erm…she's in my school. Yeah. Sh- She's a friend of mine." I stumbled over my words. I wasn't sure if I could call her my friend. I mean we haven't really had a lot of conversations and we really didn't know each other. But still I feel like she's my friend. I feel like she can understand me although we don't talk about anything important. I feel a connection, so she's my friend. I just don't know if she is thinking the same thing. But then she smiled a small smile while looking into my eyes and I knew it was okay.
"So what do you want to drink?" Sammy asked.
"I take a Latte with extra espresso, please." I said.
"That sounds good, Make that two." Arizona said while sitting down.
"Coming right up" Sammy stated while disappearing behind the counter.
I sat opposite Arizona. She was looking around the café with her big blue eyes and I felt at ease. She has something so innocent yet so interesting and deep about her. She's beautiful I thought when her eyes met mine. She smiled and repeated: "This is really amazing".